視神経脊髄炎と抗アクアポリン抗体(神経内科学教室岩田誠教授退任記念特別号)

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), also known as Devic's disease, is thought to be a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that mainly involves the optic nerve and spinal cord. Because of the clinical and pathological manifestation, NMO is considered as a severe form of multiple sclerosis (MS). Here in Japan, it is not only diagnosed as optic-spinal MS, but is often treated with an immunomodulating agent, interferon beta. In 2004, NMO-IgG or an autoantibody to aquaporin-4 of perivascular astroglia and ependymal cells of the CNS, which is a first specific marker of the demyelinating disease, was identified in the serum of NMO patients, and clearly distinguished NMO from MS. Therefore, the pathogenesis and treatment of NMO might be different from that of MS. For a reference on an advanced management of a patient with NMO, recently reported data on the clinical features and possible treatments of NMO are reviewed and summarized in this article.
東京女子医科大学の論文
2008-02-25